Photo by:

Melati Citrawireja

Welcome to our guide to grilling the best steak ever! There are a few tricks on how to get the perfect grilled steak, and step one is the seasoning. Our Everything Grill Seasoning is an all-in-one flavor hero, with a backbone of black pepper and fennel layered with smoky chilies, garlic powder, ajwain seeds—hello, herbaceous goodness!—and a kiss of salt.

Step two: Picking your steak. There are so many great options when it comes to grilling—from ribeyes, NY strips, and porterhouses to tri-tip, skirt, flank, and of course, big ol’ bone-in ribeye (sometimes referred to as a “tomahawk” or “cowboy” steak). Since these come in so many shapes and sizes, our general rule is 1½ tablespoons of Everything Grill per pound of meat, plus a little extra Surya Salt (we purposefully didn’t make this blend salt-heavy, so it can be used in different preparations and be tailored to your personal salinity preference). Whatever steak you choose, if you can season it the day before grilling, that’s ideal—especially with those heftier cuts—but even an hour will make a difference.

Step three: Get your steak to room temperature while you preheat the grill (this will facilitate even cooking!). Then, it’s all about cooking. For thinner cuts, hot and fast is best, while for thicker cuts, starting them on the cooler side of the grill and finishing them hot is the way to go. We’ll get into that more below.

Step four: Let it rest! When meat is cooked, all those muscles tighten up. It’s important to let them chill, post-grilling, allowing the muscles to relax and the juices to redistribute. Then, slice against the grain and enjoy!

Help—I don’t have an outdoor grill! For thinner cuts like skirt and flank or anything less than 1½” thick, a cast-iron grill pan works wonderfully! For thicker cuts and ones more than 1½” thick, try our fool-proof reverse sear method and finish on a grill pan or in a rippin’ hot cast iron skillet.

Ingredients

Steak(s) of your choice, like tri-tip, ribeye, NY strip, porterhouse, skirt, flank, or big bone-in ribeye
Neutral oil, like canola or vegetable
1½ tablespoons Everything Grill per 1 pound (454g) steak
1 to 1½ teaspoons Surya Salt per 1 pound (454g) steak

Special equipment

Charcoal or gas grill

Methods

To season the steak(s), combine the Everything Grill Seasoning and salt, depending on the weight of your steak, in a small bowl. Rub the steak with a very thin layer of neutral oil, place on a sheet pan, plate, or baking dish, and sprinkle liberally with the seasoning mixture on all sides. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or if grilling immediately, let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
When ready to cook, if you seasoned your steak the day before, take it out 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the size of the steak, to come to room temperature before grilling. Meanwhile, prepare a charcoal or gas grill to the heat listed below. When hot, oil the grill grates and cook the steak according to the cooking instructions for the particular cut listed below.

To grill skirt and flank steaks

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill to high heat. Place the grate on the grill and lightly oil. Grill the steaks, uncovered, flipping once until cooked to your desired doneness, 3 to 5 minutes per side. For medium-rare, cook until the internal temperature reaches 125°F to 130°F, for medium 135°F to 140°F, and medium-well, 145°F to 150°F (though we recommend medium-rare or medium for this cut of steak). Please keep in mind the steak will continue to carry-over cook when it rests.
Remove from the grill and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing against the grain. For skirt steaks, since they are long with the grain running crosswise, cut them into 4 to 5 inch pieces and then slice across the grain.

To grill ribeye, NY strips, t-bone, and steaks 1" thick or under

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill to medium-high heat. Place the grate on the grill and lightly oil. Grill the steaks, uncovered, flipping halfway through or occasionally, until they reach your desired doneness, 4 to 6 minutes per side. For rare, cook until the internal temperature reaches 120°F to 125°F, for medium-rare 125°F to 135°F, for medium 135°F to 145°F, and medium-well 150°F to 155°F. Please keep in mind the steak will continue to carry-over cook when it rests.
Remove from the grill and let rest for 7 to 12 minutes before slicing against the grain.

To grill tri-tip

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for a combination of indirect and direct heat. For charcoal, heat a full chimney of charcoal, then pour out and mound on one half of the grill. For gas, heat one set of burners or half of the grill to medium-high heat, leaving the other set unlit. Place the grate on the grill and lightly oil.
Place the tri-tip on the cool side of the grill, cover with the lid partially vented, and cook, flipping occasionally (I usually flip it about four times total), until the internal temperature reaches 10°F less than the desired doneness, 20 to 30 minutes depending on the thickness of your steak. For medium-rare, cook to about 115 to 120°F, for medium 125°F to 130°F, and for medium-well, 135° to 140°F.
Once the steak reaches the right temperature, move to the hotter side of the grill and cook, flipping occasionally, until lightly charred on all sides and cooked to your desired temperature, 5 to 8 minutes. Please keep in mind the steak will continue to carry-over cook when it rests.
Remove from the grill and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing against the grain. Tri-tip steaks often have a boomerang shape, so you may reach a point where you have to cut in a different direction to slice across the grain.

To grill big, bone-in steaks, like ribeye and porterhouse over 2" thick

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for a combination of indirect and direct heat. For charcoal, heat a full chimney of charcoal, then pour out and spread on one half of the grill. For gas, heat one set of burners or half of the grill to medium-high heat, leaving the other set unlit.
Place the steak on the cool side of the grill, cover with the lid partially vented, and cook, flipping occasionally (I usually flip it about four times total), until the internal temperature reaches 10°F less than the desired doneness, 25 to 45 minutes depending on the thickness of your steak. For medium-rare, cook to about 115 to 120°F, for medium 125°F to 130°F, and for medium-well, 135° to 140°F.
Once the steak reaches the right temperature, move to the hotter side of the grill and cook, flipping occasionally, until lightly charred on all sides and cooked to your desired temperature, 5 to 10 minutes. If using a charcoal grill and the coals have gotten too cold, you can remove the steak from the grill, add a few handfuls of coal on top, let them heat up for 5 to 10 minutes, then return the steak to the hot grill to finish cooking. Please keep in mind the steak will continue to carry-over cook when it rests.
Remove from the grill and let rest for 15 to 30 minutes before slicing. To carve, cut the meat away from the bone and then cut the steak against the grain.

This Recipe Features

The Perfect Grilled Steak

Serves

2 to 6 people

Difficulty

Intermediate